Kew Gardens resident wins condom package design contest

Kew Gardens designer Luis Acosta has won the NYC Condom Package Design Contest and hopes what he did will influence New Yorkers to “take control and practice safer sex.”

Approximately 600 entries were received for the contest. Along with receiving submissions from the city’s residents, ones also came in from other states and countries.

“The design contest was meant to draw attention to a very serious problem,” said New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley. “The HIV/AIDS epidemic is far from over in the city, and sexually transmitted diseases continue to spread at high rates.”

Five finalists were selected by a panel that included local artists, advertising professionals and experiences in the fields of public health and social marketing. They were then posted online so people could vote on a winner.

Acosta’s design was selected as the winner after receiving 23 percent of the votes of the more than 15,000 votes that were cast. Acosta, who works as a graphic designer in the marketing department of an engineering firm, found out about the contest when a coworker emailed him the information. He said he was already familiar with the NYC condom program and thought it would be a fun project.

The package Acosta designed was of an electronic power button. He decided on that design because he liked the message of empowering people and thought that the universally known sign was a perfect fit.

“The NYC Condom program is doing all of New York City a great service, and I’m very excited to be a part of it,” he said. “I hope my package design reminds people that they’re in control. We all have the power to protect ourselves from sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS and unplanned pregnancies.”

Starting in the fall, Acosta’s winning design will be on several million of the city’s condoms for a special limited edition.

“We hope Luis Acosta’s package design will remind all New Yorkers of their power to take control of their health,” Farley said.

Acosta said that he was beyond words when he found out he had won. He said that, although it has been a little overwhelming, it has been a great experience overall, as well as an exciting one.

He is also very grateful to those who voted for his design.

“I just want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone and I’m just hoping my message gets across,” he said.